Rays Cutting Some Ticket Prices, Moving Up Weeknight Games

The Rays are "slightly reducing or maintaining prices on more than 60 percent of their tickets for next season, and moving weeknight game times up a half-hour to 6:40 p.m. during April and May," according to Marc Topkin of the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES. Most of the ticket price changes were "minimal, such as $1 or $2 in either direction, and there also was some consolidation of price of seating and ticket categories, along with the continuation of varied pricing based on opponents and day of the week." While the "lowest priced ticket went up from $8 to $9, the Rays are making that price available at considerably more games." The $8 upper box/upper reserved ticket last season "was only available for five games; in 2011 the $9 upper box/upper reserved ticket will be available for 30 games." The Rays also are "likely going to reduce capacity at Tropicana Field by about 2,500 by extending the tarps that cover the seats at the top of the upper deck." Rays Senior VP Mark Fernandez said that it will be a more "intimate" environment with about 34,500 seats available. Topkin noted the Rays will have four different pricing categories -- Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver. The Diamond designation will be used for the nine Friday, Saturday and Sunday games against the Red Sox and Cardinals, with tickets ranging from $19-300. The Rays "will continue to allow fans to bring food and some beverages into the stadium and provide limited free parking for cars with four or more." Saturday game times "haven't been set, but will remain in the evening, and the Rays plan to continue their highly successful concert series." Sunday games will remain at 1:40pm (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 11/20). Rays President Matt Silverman said, "Our ticket pricing, as well as the change in game times, reflects our commitment to keeping Rays baseball at Tropicana Field affordable and accessible to our fans, especially for families" (MLB.com, 11/19).